U.S. Navy personnel began setting up a tent camp at Hut Point on Ross Island as part of Operation Deep Freeze. This early camp provided a staging area for aircraft and ship operations supporting the coming International Geophysical Year (IGY). It marked the start of what would become the main U.S. logistics base for Antarctic science.
The United States officially opened its McMurdo Station site on Ross Island, evolving from a temporary military field camp into a permanent hub for research support. From the beginning, McMurdo’s strength was logistics: moving people, fuel, and cargo so field teams could work across the Ross Sea region and the Antarctic interior. This opening is often treated as the station’s formal start date.
The International Geophysical Year (IGY) created a major push for coordinated, international Earth science, including intensive work in Antarctica. McMurdo served as a key U.S. logistics center during this period, helping supply field parties and other stations. The IGY helped shift Antarctica toward long-term, research-focused activity rather than short expeditions.
Twelve nations signed the Antarctic Treaty, committing the continent to peaceful purposes and protecting freedom of scientific investigation. For McMurdo and other stations, the treaty reinforced a science-first model and encouraged information sharing and cooperation. This agreement became the foundation of the Antarctic Treaty System used today.
After ratification by the original signatories, the Antarctic Treaty entered into force. This made the treaty’s rules operational, including inspection rights and stronger expectations for scientific cooperation. McMurdo’s role as a large, shared logistics gateway fit well with this new governance framework.
The Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) program began, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Although the searches occur far from Ross Island, McMurdo became an important staging and support point for many Antarctic field operations, including programs like ANSMET. The effort has grown into a major source of scientifically curated meteorites for researchers worldwide.
The National Science Foundation dedicated the Albert P. Crary Science and Engineering Center (often called the Crary Lab) at McMurdo. This modern facility consolidated many lab functions and added specialized spaces, including areas for biology, earth science, and core handling. It helped shift McMurdo from primarily a logistics camp to a stronger, on-site science platform.
The McMurdo Dry Valleys were selected as a Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site within NSF’s LTER program. This created a stable framework for decades-long measurements of a rare Antarctic cold-desert ecosystem. McMurdo’s air and ground logistics support made sustained field seasons and consistent sampling possible.
Long-duration balloon flights around Antarctica became practical in the early 1990s, with launches supported from the McMurdo area. These missions carry instruments high in the stratosphere for many days, enabling astronomy and atmospheric studies that can be difficult from satellites or ground stations. The capability broadened the kinds of science that McMurdo could support beyond traditional field camps.
After several seasons of route development, the McMurdo-to-South Pole overland traverse was fully traveled for the first time, creating a surface supply route across the Ross Ice Shelf and up to the polar plateau. This reduced reliance on aircraft for heavy cargo and fuel, freeing air support for science flights. The traverse also strengthened McMurdo’s role as the main coastal gateway for U.S. inland operations.
The ANDRILL (ANtarctic geological DRILLing) project recovered a 1,284.87-meter sediment and rock core from beneath the McMurdo Ice Shelf during the 2006 austral season. Drilling operations were supported by nearby facilities, including McMurdo Station and its laboratories, allowing rapid processing and initial analysis. The core helped scientists reconstruct past Antarctic climate and ice-sheet behavior over millions of years.
The National Science Board authorized NSF to move forward with the Antarctic Infrastructure Modernization for Science (AIMS) project, planned as a multi-year overhaul of McMurdo’s aging infrastructure. The goal is to improve safety, reliability, energy efficiency, and operational capacity so the station can better support modern research. This marks a shift toward long-term sustainability of McMurdo as the primary U.S. Antarctic logistics and science hub.
McMurdo Station scientific programs and expeditions (1956–present)